It gives me no pleasure to say that the George W.
Bush presidency has been an absolute and dismal failure!
In fact, the Bush II regime is worse than those of
Richard Nixon,
Jimmy Carter, and even
Bill Clinton. The only potential bright spot to his
legacy might be a slight swing to the right to life by
his two Supreme Court appointments. However, the verdict
is still out on that. Take away
Bush's Supreme Court picks, and there is nothing
left but failure, frustration, fatigue, and futility.

On the domestic front, the Bush presidency leaves us
with gargantuan growth of federal spending and meddling.
Bush's obsession with spying on American citizens
eclipses anything Nixon did or Clinton dreamed of doing.
His
Patriot Act is taken right out of the Nazi handbook,
and his arrogance regarding constitutional
accountability is unknown in America since at least the
days of Abraham Lincoln.

Concerning foreign affairs, the Bush presidency will
forever be linked to the failed and potentially fatal
war in Iraq. I say fatal, because the ultimate results
of Bush's obsession for war with Iraq are not yet fully
realized. One thing is sure: our unconstitutional war in
Iraq has created many more enemies than it has
eliminated, and the overall impact on the morale of both
our troops and the American citizenry rivals the effects
of the Vietnam War and perhaps even surpasses them.

In addition, the war in Iraq has done more to aid and
assist the militant Islamists throughout the Middle
East, especially in Iran, than anything we could have
done. After all, we helped Saddam Hussein take control
of Iraq, in part because we knew he would help keep the
Iranians in check. And Hussein did that with great
efficiency.

With Iraq in total disarray, the Iranians hope to
seize the opportunity to exert their influence in a way
they could never have done without Bush's assistance in
toppling Hussein and creating the resulting civil war
that currently rages in Iraq. Thank you, President Bush.

With all of that said, however, the worst tragedy of
the Bush presidency lies with something even deeper and
more permanent (if that is possible). The worst tragedy
of the Bush presidency is the damage he has done to the
image and influence of Christianity. It is no hyperbole
to say that George W. Bush has done more to demean and
mitigate the positive influence of genuine Christianity
than any single person in American history. And I do not
say that lightly.

Because George W. Bush successfully portrayed himself
as the ultimate Christian president, his life and
policies are indelibly linked to the very definition of
what it means to be a Christian in public office. The
Religious Right also share in this perception, as they
almost universally and totally gave their allegiance to
Bush. Hence, as far as most Americans are concerned,
George W. Bush is a Christian, and, therefore, his
philosophies and ideas are assumed to be Christian as
well. THIS IS A TRAGEDY OF UTMOST PROPORTIONS!

For example, Bush has reshaped Christianity to
include the acceptance of torture, the launching of
unprovoked, preemptive (not to mention undeclared) war,
the denial of constitutional rights to American citizens
(whose legal status may be redefined at the whim of the
President), the doctrine of religious egalitarianism
(Bush repeatedly declared, "
Christians
and Muslims worship the same god"), the neglect
and even repudiation of constitutional government (by
his repeated refusal to allow the Executive branch to be
held accountable to congressional scrutiny or judicial
oversight), and the inattention to secure borders and
national sovereignty (through his infatuation with
providing amnesty to millions of illegal aliens and his
unilateral decision to merge America into regional,
hemispheric political and commercial entities).

As a result, not only do non-Christians look askance
at Christianity, many genuine Christians have had their
entire philosophy regarding Biblical principles uprooted
and redefined. Worse still, many Christians have, either
wittingly or unwittingly, chosen to adopt Bush's brand
of Christianity, and in so doing, have abandoned genuine
Bible Christianity.

Real Christianity cannot tolerate torture. Real
Christianity insists that war is only justified as a
last resort, only for defensive purposes, and only when
first attacked or when an attack is imminent. Historic
Christianity is peace-loving. It is not bloodthirsty or
militarily aggressive. The Bush presidency has changed
all that.

Genuine Christianity recognizes the inherent rights
and freedoms of all its people to live their lives under
the authority of but one king, King Jesus. It believes
that all authority is subjected to the authority of God
and is, therefore, limited.

As a result, real Christians
respect the Declaration of Independence, U.S.
Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Real Christians
understand the propensity of sinful men to accrue power
unto themselves and to lord it over other men. For this
reason, real Christians value limited government and
intrinsically resist the tyrannical tendencies of those
in positions of power. The Bush presidency has changed
all that.

Furthermore, Christianity acknowledges but one lord,
the Lord Jesus Christ. There is one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus. There is no other Savior;
no other God. Real Christians know that they do not
worship the same god as do Muslims. The Bush presidency
has changed all that.

In addition, genuine Christianity respects the
Biblical principle of nationhood and national
boundaries. It recognizes that any attempt at
globalism is nothing more than a devilish attempt to
erect a modern-day
Tower of Babel. As such, American Christians have
historically stood for national sovereignty and
independence, and any attempts at providing amnesty for
illegal aliens or at blurring our national borders have
been met with vehement opposition: for spiritual as well
as political and cultural reasons. The Bush presidency
has changed all that.

Unfortunately, the consequences of the Bush
presidency will be felt for many decades to come, not
only internationally, but domestically as well. Because
most people associate George W. Bush with Christianity,
and because they are totally disgusted with Bush, I look
for widespread abandonment of Christian philosophy in
the public square in the foreseeable future. And
regardless of what anyone says, this is a direct fallout
of the Bush presidency, and just may be the worst
tragedy of all.

Dr. Chuck Baldwin is the
pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola,
Florida. He hosts a
weekly radio show. His
website is
here.